ABB has received an order for a further 324, 350 kW high-power electric vehicle (EV) chargers from IONITY. The chargers are to be rolled out in 24 countries by the end of 2020 as part of the second phase of the IONITY network expansion. Financial details of the order were not disclosed.

ABB was already commissioned in 2018 as technology partner to deliver 340 high-power chargers to IONITY and was the first to market in Europe with 350 kW chargers featuring liquid cooled cables. Such a high-power level can enable a charging speed of 200 kilometers in as little as 8 minutes.

IONITY, a joint venture of BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, as well as the Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche, has to date opened 202 charging sites across 18 European markets. IONITY recently celebrated the launch of its 200sup>th charging station in Lully, Switzerland which includes ABB’s latest high-power, customized IONITY chargers.

The customized chargers being supplied by ABB for IONITY are ABB’s slimmest design to date and align with IONITY’s design needs. The new chargers also benefit from other improved design features including quieter operation, a bespoke display and longer cables with integrated cable management retraction making it easier to reach the charging port on all car models and ensuring cables are always kept off the ground and therefore dirt free for users.

Plug-in vehicle sales in Europe reached 408,000 units in 2018, 33% higher year on year, with predictions that Europe will quickly pull ahead of the US as the number two EV market behind China in the 2020s, driven by tightening fuel economy regulations and growing commitments from domestic automakers.

ABB, synonymous with electric-transportation breakthroughs during its 130-year history, has become a global leader in connected DC fast charging systems for electric vehicles. ABB has currently sold more than 13,000 DC fast chargers across over 80 countries worldwide.

T&E: Europe needs 15 times more public chargers by 2030. Some 3 million public charging points will be needed for a projected 44 million electric vehicles in 2030 if the EU is to become climate neutral by 2050, according to new research by environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E). That’s more than 15 times the 185,000 public chargers currently available in the EU—which are enough for the current electric fleet but not to keep pace with the growing market beyond 2020.

To finance the necessary chargers, the analysis estimates Europe needs €20 billion over the next 11 years, or €1.8 billion a year on average, in private and targeted public investment. This is just 3% of the EU’s annual spend on road infrastructure today.

T&E argues this is a business opportunity and co-financing can come from the European investment plan, which will support €1 trillion of sustainable investment over the next decade under the EU Green Deal.